CN105960634B

CN105960634B - Method, communication network, participant and vehicle for data transmission

Info

Publication number: CN105960634B
Application number: CN201580007243.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: P.巴奇
Original assignee: Volkswagen AG
Current assignee: Volkswagen AG
Priority date: 2014-02-04
Filing date: 2015-02-04
Publication date: 2021-07-30
Anticipated expiration: 2035-02-04
Also published as: DE102014201954A1; US20170010910A1; KR20160114703A; KR101904631B1; US10922113B2; CN105960634A; WO2015117982A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for data transmission between at least two participants, wherein at least one participant is designed as a vehicle-side participant, wherein the at least one vehicle-side participant provides at least one Virtual Machine (VM) or is designed as a Virtual Machine (VM), wherein the at least one Virtual Machine (VM) forms a server in a client-server communication network (1, 10). The invention also relates to a communication network, a participant and a vehicle.

Description

Method, communication network, participant and vehicle for data transmission

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for data transmission between at least two participants, a communication network, and a participant and a vehicle in a communication network for data transmission.

Background

In the communication networks in vehicles today, participants of the communication networks, in particular participants in so-called infotainment systems, have a stateful interface. The data transmission via the stateful interface requires precise compliance with the call sequence. The disadvantage that results from this is that the communication technology is closely matched to the participants, which makes distribution of functions in the communication network difficult and limits the multi-client capability of the communication network.

US2010/00300466a1 discloses a method for navigation outside a vehicle, wherein a navigation device receives route information relating to a route from a starting point to a destination. The route information is determined outside the navigation device and includes vehicle characteristics. The route information is stored in the navigation device. The vehicle is then guided to the destination based on the route information. A deviation state of the vehicle from the route is then detected. A route request including the vehicle characteristic is then sent to the server. However, this document does not disclose the details of the procedure of communication between the navigation device and the server. The server is also arranged outside the vehicle.

DE10044891a1 discloses a method for operating a multi-function menu-oriented display device in a motor vehicle, in which functions or parameters are displayed or re-displayed by selecting menu items, respectively. In this case, the data content of the displays of the different drive units in the motor vehicle is stored in a functionally and/or drive-unit-dependent manner in a control device which communicates bidirectionally with the display device. Only the title line of the memory content is displayed first when a menu item is selected, wherein the entire memory content associated with the title line is then transmitted and displayed by means of a corresponding key operation. Thereby resulting in a data transmission comprising a plurality of transmission processes.

DE102004013629a1 discloses a communication system for a motor vehicle. For the transmission of information relating to the operation of a motor vehicle from a transmitting control unit to a receiving control unit, wherein the communication system comprises a bus system. The communication system also comprises an interface, independent of the configuration of the bus system, for inputting information transmitted via the bus system and/or for outputting information to be transmitted via the bus system, which information relates to the operation of the motor vehicle. Nor does this document disclose details of the procedure for data transmission.

DE60313373T2 discloses an interactive vehicle control system with a control unit which is connected to at least one vehicle device via a first connecting means. Furthermore, at least one client device is disclosed, which is connected to a control unit via a second connection means, with which the participants interact. The control unit also comprises a transmission protocol server which transmits the at least one human-machine interface to the client device. Nor does this document disclose details of the procedure for data transmission.

The article "Fielding, Roy Thomas, architectural Styles and the Design of Network-based Software architecture, vector display, University of California, Irvine,2000, see http:// www.ics.uci.edu/. Fielding/pubs/display/reset _ arm _ style.thm" describes an representational state transfer (REST).

DE112011100166T5 discloses a method for starting a virtual entity within a cloud computing environment. However, here the virtual machine is present only in the cloud computing environment.

DE69820900T2 discloses a system and a method for distributed computer-motor vehicle service construction or configuration. DE60316213T2 discloses web-centric telematics services and applications for vehicle determination, and in particular a communication system configured for ensuring storage of participant preferences. In both documents the server is arranged only outside the vehicle.

It is desirable in the future to be able to provide applications in vehicles even afterwards, which are not developed in particular by the vehicle manufacturer.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to provide a method for data transmission, a communication network, a subscriber in a communication network and a vehicle, which simplify the subsequent provision and installation of a plurality of different applications and services in the vehicle. In particular, the technical problem to be solved is to be able to subsequently include external, but permanently provided data without affecting the functionality of the vehicle or the individual subsystems of the vehicle.

The above-mentioned technical problem is solved by the content having the features of claims 1, 9, 14 and 15. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims.

A method for data transmission between at least two participants is proposed. At least one participant is designed as a vehicle-side participant. This means that at least one participant is arranged in the vehicle and can communicate in particular with further vehicle-side participants. The vehicle-side participant can be, in particular, a control device of a vehicle, for example a control device of an infotainment system of a vehicle, or be provided by such a control device. The at least one further participant may in particular be an external participant, wherein the external participant is arranged outside the vehicle.

The vehicle side can mean that the vehicle-side participant is fixedly mounted in or on the vehicle. For example, the vehicle-side participant is mechanically fixedly connected to a part of the vehicle.

The vehicle may be a motor vehicle, in particular an automobile. The vehicle-side participant is thus arranged in or on the motor vehicle.

The data transmission between the two participants can take place via any data connection, for example a wired, but preferably wireless, connection or a local, device-internal or participant-internal connection.

At least one vehicle-side participant provides at least one virtual machine or forms a virtual machine. The virtual machine may be provided, for example, by a hypervisor. The virtual machine may represent a computing device, which is not implemented directly on the vehicle-side hardware. The computing means may in this case be computing means internal to the device. The virtual machine makes it possible in particular to provide or emulate an operating system which is different from the operating system of the vehicle-side participant. In particular, android, for example, may be provided by means of a virtual machine^TMAnd (4) operating the system.

The virtual machine can provide a runtime environment for running applications or services, in which it is not possible to run software code directly via the vehicle-side participants, i.e., in particular without the virtual machine.

In the sense of the present invention, the concept of "service" denotes software or a part of software, wherein one or more functions may be performed when executing instructions encoded by the software. The service thereby provides one or more functions. The software may represent a computer program or a portion thereof.

In contrast to the applications which are also explained below, the functions of the service cannot be handled separately, i.e. without further software components, in particular triggered. In particular, the functions of the service cannot be operated, in particular triggered, by the participants alone. Alternatively or cumulatively, the information generated during the running of the service cannot be transmitted to the participants individually, i.e. without further software parts. By means of the service, in particular, no man-machine interface is implemented. The service may however contain at least one software interface, in particular a so-called API, for connecting the operating software. Such a software interface may be configured as a stateless interface. This is explained in more detail below. Such operating software may in particular implement a human-machine interface. Implementation means here that the operating software implements a man-machine interface.

The concept of "application" in the sense of the present invention denotes software or a part of software, wherein one or more functions are executable in the case of execution of instructions coded by the software and wherein the functions of the application are operable, in particular triggerable, individually, i.e. without other software parts. In particular, the functions of the application are individually operable, in particular triggerable, by the participants. Alternatively or cumulatively, the information generated during the execution of the service may be transmitted to the participants separately. The man-machine interface is realized in particular by an application.

The application can thus implement both functional parts and a human-machine interface, wherein the service can only implement the functional parts and not the human-machine interface. The man-machine interface may in particular be provided such that the coded function is operable, e.g. triggerable, by the participant via the man-machine interface. Furthermore, the human-machine interface can be used to provide information to the participants, for example optically or acoustically, wherein the information is generated during the execution of the application or service. For example, data is generated for displaying an operating interface on a display device, such as a touch screen. In addition, the human-machine interface can be used to evaluate participant inputs. The participant input may be evaluated on a touch screen, for example.

The human-machine interface can be provided at least partially on an existing or by an existing device, for example a vehicle-side or external touch screen. In particular at least one hardware part of the man-machine interface is at least partly provided by means of existing equipment. In this case, of course, corresponding control and evaluation means for directly controlling and/or evaluating the human-machine interface can be provided by the existing devices.

In this case, the application may directly control the operation of the hardware part, while the service only comprises a human-machine interface for connecting the hardware part to the operating software.

Furthermore, an "HMI client" in the sense of the present invention denotes software or a part of software, which implements a human-machine interface. The term "HMI client" herein may also refer to a device or hardware portion for executing the software. The "HMI client" may also comprise, inter alia, a software interface, in particular a stateless software interface, for communicating with the service. This enables, in particular, stateless communication between the service and the "HMI client".

The "HMI client" can be operated on a vehicle-side or external device. The HMI client may be run, for example, on an external mobile phone, tablet computer or so-called smart watch. In particular, it is possible for the service to be run by a virtual machine, wherein the human-machine interface is run by the HMI client. In this case, the HMI client has a suitable interface for communication, in particular stateless communication, with the virtual machine.

Purely by way of example and without limitation, the concepts "service", "application" and "HMI client" are set forth below. The phonebook service may for example provide the functionality of an electronic phonebook, in particular a suitable storage and management of contact data. The phonebook service does not, however, implement a human interface through which existing contacts can be displayed or new contacts entered. For such a phonebook service, a human machine interface can be implemented, for example, on a mobile phone, in particular a smartphone, by means of an HMI client, by means of which existing contacts can be displayed or new contacts can be entered.

The phonebook application may implement both the functionality of an electronic phonebook and a man-machine interface through which existing contacts may be displayed or new contacts may be entered.

According to the invention, at least one virtual machine forms a server in a client-server communication network. In particular, the virtual machine may form a server for communication, i.e. data transmission, between the virtual machine and another participant in the client-server communication network. The further participant may in this case form a client or also form a further server. In particular, as will be explained in more detail below, persistent data may be transferred from the other participant to the virtual machine. Of course, temporary data may also be transferred from the other participant to the virtual machine. The temporary data here means data which are available on the vehicle side after transmission, but are only temporarily, i.e. not permanently available. For example, temporary data may be transmitted in the context of a video or audio stream.

The client-server communication network can be arranged exclusively on the vehicle side, wherein the client-server communication network comprises the participants arranged exclusively on the vehicle side. However, it is also possible for the client-server communication network to also comprise external participants.

The at least one virtual machine forms a server, meaning that the virtual machine has or provides the respective server functionality. It is not excluded, however, that the at least one virtual machine may additionally also form a client, i.e. may also have or provide corresponding server functions. This is explained in more detail below.

By means of the server, in particular the previously explained service or the functions encoded by the service can be executed, wherein by means of a further participant, in particular a further participant configured as an HMI client, a human-machine interface can be executed which allows the functions of the service to be operated by the participant. The application or the functions coded by the application may also be executed by the server.

The proposed method advantageously allows applications and in particular services to be executed in the vehicle independently of the operating system of the vehicle-side participant. This independence allows a plurality of applications and services, in particular of different users, to be included without complexity and in a simple manner, in particular afterwards.

In another embodiment, at least one other participant transmits persistent data to at least one virtual machine. The persistent data here means data which can be used on the vehicle side after transmission and which are not temporary but rather are provided permanently. In particular, the persistent data can be kept on the vehicle side until the payload is unloaded. The persistent data can be, in particular, data which encode applications which can be used and/or executed on the vehicle side after transmission. Such applications may also be referred to as apps, for example.

Purely by way of example and without limitation of production, the persistent data may also be video data provided for multiple plays.

Resource management of the persistent data can be performed in particular by means of virtual machines. This means that vehicle-side resources, such as storage requirements and/or computing capacity, required and demanded by the persistent data or the content or application encoded by the persistent data are managed by means of the virtual machine. Alternatively or cumulatively, life cycle management of the persistent data or of the content or application encoded by the persistent data can be performed by means of the virtual machine. Lifecycle management includes, among other things, installation, updating, and uninstallation of persistent data.

In particular, persistent data that is not already present on the vehicle side can be transmitted by the at least one further participant to the at least one virtual machine.

In an advantageous manner, a simple interface is thus realized which allows the subsequent input of persistent data, in particular generated by external providers, with minimal or no influence on the functionality of the already existing vehicle-side application or service. For example, new applications or services can be provided on the vehicle side by means of the persistent data. If an error occurs while executing such an application, the error may be intercepted based on the virtual machine executing the new application or managing its resources and life cycle.

In a utilization embodiment, the persistent data encodes a service or application. In this case, the service or application or instructions encoded in the corresponding software are executed by means of a virtual machine. The virtual machine thus manages access to resources on the other vehicle side by applications or services encoded with persistent data and vice versa. In this way, applications or services that are not present on the vehicle side, in particular applications or services of external providers, in particular vehicle occupants, can be advantageously made available in the vehicle.

Such non-existent applications or services may be, for example, non-existent music management applications or services, non-existent contact management applications or services, non-existent travel guide applications or services, non-existent travel log applications or services, or non-existent calendar management applications or services.

In another embodiment, the at least one virtual machine forms a client in a client-server communication network. This may mean that the virtual machine may provide client functionality in addition to server functionality.

For example, at least one virtual machine may provide a client for the performance of a particular operation. At least one virtual machine may provide a server during execution of another operation. Depending on the persistent data, in particular the content, server or application encoded by the persistent data, the virtual machine may form only a server or only a client in a client-server-communication network.

In a preferred embodiment, a stateless communication between one participant forming a server and another participant forming a client is carried out in a client-server communication network. In particular, a stateless communication can be carried out by means of a data transmission between a first participant, in particular a virtual machine, and at least one further participant. Alternatively or cumulatively, the virtual machine may also form at least one further participant.

Stateless means that the complete client-side requested data and/or the complete server-side acknowledged data are each transmitted in exactly one transmission process. The server-side response may be a response to the client-side request, such a response being able to represent the corresponding response (korrospindiendendendenderword). Stateless may also mean that all information required to perform at least one server-side operation is transmitted from the client to the server in exactly one transmission. Furthermore, stateless may mean that all information required for performing at least one client-side operation is transferred from the server to the client in exactly one transfer process. Furthermore, stateless may also mean that all information required to confirm an operation requested by the server is transferred from the client to the server in exactly one transfer process. Furthermore, stateless may also mean that all information required to confirm an operation requested by a client is transmitted from the server to the client in exactly one transmission. In particular, it is no longer required here that the client-side request and the server-side response are transmitted in a sequence comprising a plurality of transmission processes as usual to date. A single transmission process is here represented as a part of the total sequence required to synchronize the states in the client and the server.

The request, in particular the client-side request, may be a read request, a write request or a delete request, for example, which triggers a read operation, a write operation or a delete operation on the server side or the client side, respectively. The write request may be a generation request or an update request.

Stateless may also mean that the participant can perform operations based on the information transmitted during the transmission and does not need further knowledge, in particular does not need further knowledge about the communication process carried out to this point and/or the information transmitted therein.

Stateless may also mean that data for communication is provided independently of the state of the communicating party. The term "stateful", which is to say "stateless", can mean that data for communication is provided depending on the state of the communication partner, wherein the state has to be queried before being provided.

Stateless may thus allow communication between a server and a client for which registration of the server at the client is not required. But the client can transmit all the information needed to confirm or perform the operation of querying by the server from the client to the server in exactly one transmission process.

Stateless communication may be achieved when the communicating parties and the transmission protocol are configured to perform stateless communication as explained above.

The first participant may, as an alternative to the virtual machine, be a control device in the vehicle, in particular a control device of an infotainment system in the vehicle, or be provided by such a control device, wherein the control device provides data, which data or the content of which data is transmitted to the vehicle occupant via a corresponding output device. These data can be generated in the control device or stored in the control device, for example in a memory device of the control device.

The other participant may be configured as an output device in the vehicle or provided by such an output device, for example. The output device may be, for example, a display means, such as a display, or an acoustic playback means, such as a loudspeaker. Of course, the output device can also comprise means for controlling the output device here, wherein the means for controlling the output device control the respective output device in such a way that the data or its content is output as desired. The control means of the display device may then control the display device in accordance with the information to be displayed.

As will be explained in more detail below, the parties to the client-server communication network may each form or have a communication interface that allows the proposed data transmission for stateless communication. Such a communication interface may also be referred to as a stateless communication interface.

The method for data transmission can be carried out in particular according to the RESTful principle (Representational State Transfer-Prinzip, Representational State Transfer (REST)). According to this principle, resources are provided in a client-server communication network, wherein the resources contain specific information or specific services. Each resource is represented by a global identifier.

With the proposed data transmission, in particular data in the form of objects or object lists can be transmitted. But of course binary data may also be transmitted. The data encoding the exactly one object or the exactly one object list can then be transmitted, for example, from the first participant to the other participants during exactly one transmission. Data transmission may also be used for transmitting global and for transmitting status information.

This advantageously results in simplified communication between the client and the server, in particular between a plurality of clients and a server, since a specific process, for example the data transmission of a write operation, is involved, which requires at most two transmission processes, namely from client to server (request) and from server to client (response). However, it is also possible for data relating to a specific process to be transmitted in a single transmission process, in particular from the server to the client. This is explained in detail below.

In another embodiment, the communication between the server-forming participants and the client-forming participants takes place in accordance with the RESTful principle in a client-server communication network. This means that the client-server-communication network forms a RESTful system. In addition to the stateless feature explained above, communication according to the RESTful principle may also have at least one of the other features: scalability of the participants and possible interactions between the participants, classification of information for intermediately storable/non-intermediately storable, uniform communication interfaces, multi-layering of the system. These features are described in particular in the article "filing, Roy Thomas. architectural Styles and the Design of Network-based Software architecture. vector display, University of California, Irvine,2000, see http:// www.ics.uci.edu/. transforming/pubs/display/reset _ arm _ style.

In a preferred embodiment, the data transmission between the at least two participants takes place according to one of a set of at least two mutually different transmission protocols. In particular, the data transmission can be carried out according to one of the set of exactly two transmission protocols. Each transport protocol of the set of different transport protocols allows the stateless communication or the communication according to the RESTful principle explained before.

In this way, data transmission can take place during transmission, either according to the first transmission protocol or according to a further transmission protocol.

The data transmission can take place via exactly one communication channel or via exactly one communication connection, wherein the communication channel/communication connection allows data transmission according to each transmission protocol. Different communication channels/communication connections can also be provided for data transmission according to different transmission protocols.

In each of the different transport protocols, the specific rights of each participant, in particular the rights to a predetermined request, are determined.

It is thereby advantageously possible for different data transmissions, in particular data transmissions from different situations, to be carried out according to different transmission protocols.

In a further preferred embodiment, the data transmission initiated by a request on the client side takes place according to the first transmission protocol. The request at the client side may already form the first sub-transmission process of the data transmission. The client-side request may be used, for example, to invoke state information or content information. In particular, the client-side request may be a read request, a write request or a delete request as explained above. The corresponding server-side response to the client-side request can also be transmitted in accordance with the first transmission protocol. The data can then be transmitted from the server to the client, for example, on the basis of a read request of the client.

Furthermore, the data transmission initiated by the server-side event is carried out according to a further transmission protocol, which is different from the first transmission protocol. A server-side event may occur, for example, when two temporally subsequent, but identical, read requests generate different responses at the server. For data transmission during transmission according to the further transmission protocol, no client-side request is required. However, as explained in detail below, a client-side registration request may be required here.

The transmission of data according to the first transmission protocol may also be referred to as so-called polling, while the transmission of data according to the further transmission protocol may also be referred to as pushing. This advantageously results in a method for data transmission in which client-side requests, in particular periodic one-sided requests, are not mandatory for timely detection of server-side events.

Furthermore, the first transport protocol may be a REST/http protocol and the second transport protocol may be a ws protocol. The REST/http protocol here denotes the representational state transfer protocol and the ws protocol denotes the Websocket protocol. This advantageously results in a simple implementation of the different protocols.

Furthermore, the data transmission to the at least one further participant on the basis of the server-side event is only carried out if the at least one further participant has registered via the registration request for the event. The registration request represents a request on the client side, based on which a login or logout operation is performed on the server side for a notification function for notifying the client in case of one or more server-side events. In the logged-in state, if the event at the server side as explained above occurs, the data transmission from the server to the client, which is initiated by the event as explained above, is performed. In the logged-out state, if such server-side time occurs, no event-initiated transmission from the server to the client occurs, if such server-side event occurs. It is thereby advantageously achieved that event-initiated data transmission takes place only at a specific client, thereby reducing the amount of data transmitted.

Furthermore, at least one data format of the data transmission may be the same for all transmission protocols. This means that the data format for the request and/or the response is the same in the used transmission protocol. The request and/or the response are identically constructed, i.e. independently of the transmission protocol. This advantageously results in a simplified implementation of the proposed method.

Furthermore the addressing structure may be the same for all transport protocols. This means that the addresses contained in the request and/or the response, for example the addresses of the data object, the status object and/or the data list, are identical in the transmission protocol used. I.e. the address is identically constructed independently of the transport protocol. For example, especially the maximum addressing depth, i.e. the number of possible addresses, may be the same for all transport protocols. This also advantageously results in a simplified implementation of the proposed method.

Furthermore, the client-side request and/or the registration request may be parameterized. Parameterization means that the request on the client side and/or at least one parameter in the registration request is transmitted to the first participant (server). The parameter may be used in particular for filtering. One or more responses may be filtered from the plurality of possible responses based on the filter parameters. If no parameters are transmitted, a response without filtering can be made, for example all possible responses can be transmitted.

If the request on the client side and/or the request for registration is a request for a list of objects, for example, the address distance (position of the entry in the list) and/or the number of objects to be transmitted can be selected as parameters. This thereby allows the transfer of the desired object part of the object list.

Another parameter may be, for example, a reference depth parameter. If the response requested at the first address, for example the requested object, comprises a reference addressed at the further address to at least one further response, for example a reference to a further object, it is desirable to transmit this further response also as part of the response to the request on the client side and/or on the basis of an event on the server side. The reference depth parameter here describes the number of reference layers considered in transmission. The reference depth parameter may for example be limited to a maximum value, e.g. 3.

Another filter parameter may be, for example, the update frequency for periodic update replies, which are transmitted from the server to the logged-on client, for example, based on a client-side registration request. Another parameter may be the maximum update rate for the event initiated response. The amount of event-initiated responses may be limited if, for example, the state or characteristic changes faster than the time determined by the maximum update rate. In this case, for example, the current state can be transmitted only when a time period determined by the update rate expires.

The data transmission to the at least one further participant may furthermore be a filtered data transmission. Filtered here means that one or more responses are filtered out and transmitted from a plurality of possible responses to the client-side request and/or registration request, depending on at least one filtering criterion, for example, depending on at least one filtering parameter explained above. The amount of data to be transmitted can thereby be advantageously reduced.

In addition, data encoding the response, for example data encoding the object, can be transmitted. The data contains at least one reference to at least one other response, e.g. at least one other object. The responses may thus differ, for example, in their respective addressing. Additionally, data is transmitted that encodes at least one other acknowledgement. Cancellation of reference thereby

The referenced response is thus also transmitted in a stateless communication during the data transmission.

Furthermore, a communication network for data transmission between at least two participants is proposed, wherein at least one of the participants is designed as a vehicle-side participant.

At least one vehicle-side participant provides at least one virtual machine.

According to the invention, at least one virtual machine forms a server in a client-server communication network. This may mean that a server in a client-server communication network may be provided by a virtual machine. Persistent and/or temporary data may be transmitted to at least one virtual machine from at least one other participant.

The communication network is designed such that the method according to the embodiments described above can be performed by means of the communication network. It is thereby advantageously achieved that the communication network described in the present invention allows the method described in the present invention to be implemented with the advantages mentioned as well.

In another embodiment, persistent data may be transferred to at least one virtual machine from at least one other participant.

A communication network is thus advantageously implemented which allows external, persistent contents to be reloaded, wherein the function of the vehicle is not or only minimally affected.

In another embodiment, the at least one virtual machine forms a client in a client-server communication network. The client-server communication network can, as described above, be arranged only on the vehicle side. The client-server communication network may also be part of or form the entire proposed communication network.

The communication network may in particular comprise a vehicle-side participant and an external participant.

This may mean that, by means of the virtual machine, a server in a client-server communication network may additionally provide a client.

In a further embodiment, in a client-server communication network, the parties forming the server and the parties forming the client each provide or have a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is designed such that stateless communication between the parties can be performed via the communication interface.

In a further embodiment, in a client-server communication network, the participants forming the server and the participants forming the client each provide or have a communication interface via which communication between the participants can be carried out according to the RESTful principle. This has already been explained above.

That is, in particular, the virtual machine explained above may constitute the communication interface thus constructed.

It is also proposed that a participant of a communication network for data transmission between at least two participants is provided, wherein the participant is designed as a vehicle-side participant, wherein at least one virtual machine can be provided or a virtual machine can be designed by the vehicle-side participant. According to the invention, at least one virtual machine forms a server in a client-server communication network.

The vehicle-side participant is configured in such a way that the method according to the embodiment described in the present invention can be carried out by the vehicle-side participant. Furthermore, the vehicle-side participant can be configured such that it can be a participant in a communication network according to one of the embodiments described in the present invention. The advantages obtained by such a party have been explained above.

Furthermore, a vehicle is proposed, wherein the vehicle comprises a vehicle-side participant or a communication network according to the illustrated embodiment.

Drawings

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to examples. Therein, the

Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of the proposed communication network,

figure 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a client-server-communication network,

FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of a stateless communication, an

Fig. 4 shows another schematic flow diagram of stateless communication.

Hereinafter, the same reference numerals denote elements having the same technical features.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a communication network according to the present invention. A vehicle-side infotainment system 2 is shown. The vehicle-side infotainment system 2 includes a vehicle-side control device 3. The control device 3 provides a participant 4 on the first vehicle side. The first vehicle-side participant 4 can, for example, transmit data to the other participant in the context of running an already existing application on the vehicle side, for example a factory-side or initially installed application. The first data transmission D1 is shown by a dotted line, wherein data are transmitted between the first vehicle-side participant 4 and the second vehicle-side participant 5 by means of the first data transmission D1, wherein the second vehicle-side participant 5 forms or is provided by a display control device, for example, for controlling a display device, not shown, wherein the display control device provides an application for displaying content. The first data transmission D1 may be carried out, for example, according to a local, i.e. initially installed, transmission protocol.

A third vehicle-side participant 6 is also shown. The third vehicle-side participant 6 may be another display control device for controlling a display device, not shown. The further display control means may for example provide a browser, i.e. a further application for displaying content. However, the display control performed by the third vehicle-side participant 6 and by the second vehicle-side participant 5 can differ from one another.

The virtual machine VM is also provided via the control device 3.

By means of the second data transmission D2, which is illustrated by a dot-and-dash line, data which are not already present on the vehicle side, either permanently or temporarily, can be transmitted from the first external party 7, for example a mobile telephone, to the virtual machine VM. The data transmitted by means of the second data transmission D2 may, for example, encode applications or services which are required for operating an operating system which is different from the operating system of the infotainment system 2, for example of the participant 4 on the first vehicle side.

The virtual machine VM performs resource management and life cycle management on the persistent data transmitted by the first external party 7. Furthermore, applications or services encoded by external data are executed by the virtual machine VM.

The virtual machine VM may also constitute a server for communicating with the first external party 7. Of course, the VM may also execute other applications or services or instructions encoded in the corresponding software, which are not transmitted by the first external party 7.

If the virtual machine VM executes an application, the virtual machine VM may also execute a human machine interface or its functions when executed, wherein the hardware part of the human machine interface is provided by the first external party 7. For example, the touch screen of the first external participant 7 can be used as a display and operating device for operating functions of the application and for displaying information provided by the application to the participant. In particular, the human-machine interface can be implemented by an application and provided by the virtual machine VM when the corresponding software is implemented.

If the virtual machine VM executes the service, the human machine interface or its functions may not be implemented by the virtual machine VM because the server does not implement the human machine interface. In this case, the corresponding human machine interface is implemented by software executable by the first external party 7. In particular, the first participant 7 may form an HMI client. However, the service may comprise a corresponding software interface for connecting a human machine interface, in particular a stateless software interface.

The human-machine interface, in particular the touch screen, or its functions, can be implemented by the first external party 7.

The data transmission between the virtual machine VM and the first external party 7 can take place as a stateless communication during the execution of the application or service via the stateless communication interface 9.

It is shown that the first vehicle-side participant 4, the third vehicle-side participant 6, the virtual machine VM and the first external participant 7 and the further external participant 8 each have a stateless communication interface 9. Via these stateless communication interfaces 9, the previously explained stateless communication between the

respective participants

4, 6, 7, 8, VM can be performed. The third data transfer D3 is here represented by a solid line and the fourth data transfer D4 is shown by a dashed line, wherein the third data transfer D3 represents a data transfer requested to be initiated and the fourth data transfer D4 represents a data transfer initiated by an event.

Another external participant 8 may be or provide, for example, a data cloud from which data encoding content may be invoked.

In fig. 2 a schematic block diagram of a communication network 10 according to the present invention is shown. The communication network 10 comprises a virtual machine VM constructed as a server, a participant 4 constructed as a client and a third participant 6 constructed as a client. The participants VM, 4, 6 are provided here or have a communication interface, not shown, which can be provided in software and/or hardware.

Via the interface, the participants VM, 4, 6 perform data transmission between the first participant 4 and the virtual machine VM and between the virtual machine VM and the third participant 6. The data transmission is used to perform stateless communication between the first participant 4 and the virtual machine VM and between the virtual machine VM and the third participant 6.

Two communication protocols are also schematically shown, wherein data transmission according to a first transmission protocol is indicated by a solid line and data transmission according to a second transmission protocol is indicated by a dashed line. The previously explained third data transmission D3 according to the first data transmission protocol and the fourth data transmission D4 according to the second transmission protocol are thus carried out. The first transport protocol is the REST/http protocol and the other transport protocol is the ws protocol.

The stateless communication is illustratively interpreted in terms of a communication between the first party 4 and the virtual machine VM. In a first embodiment, a client-side request cA is made which is transmitted during a transmission according to a first transmission protocol. The client-side request cA is complete here and thus contains all the information required for carrying out the requested server-side operation. Based on the client-side request cA, for example after performing the server-side operation, a response aA requesting the start is transmitted from the virtual machine VM to the first participant 4 in the course of the transmission. The response aA initiated by the request is complete here and thus contains all the information requested by the first party 4, for example in the request cA on the client side. The request cA and the response aA initiated by the request form a stateless partial transmission process of a stateless request-response sequence, which is formed by exactly the two partial transmission processes.

In particular, the client-side request cA may contain requested responses, such as an address, an Identifier (ID), and a name of the requested object. The identifier can be in particular a unique identifier in the communication network 10. The client-side request cA may furthermore contain filter parameters.

For example, the client-side request cA can be made as a read request, a delete request or a write request, whereby the server side performs different operations. Depending on the type of request, in particular in the case of a read request, a response aA of the request initiation is made, which in turn contains all the information requested by the request cA on the client side.

Furthermore, an event-initiated response eA is shown, in which the data transmission from the virtual machine VM to the first participant 4 takes place in exactly one transmission process according to another transmission protocol when a server-side event, i.e. an event on the part of the virtual machine VM, occurs. Not shown in fig. 1 is a client-side registration request rA (see fig. 3), by means of which the first and

third parties

4, 6 respectively register for an event-initiated data transmission. Data transmission according to another transmission protocol is always carried out when two temporally subsequent read requests to a virtual machine VM having the same address generate different responses aA to request initiation. In the response aA of the request initiation or in the response eA of the event initiation, a status object, a data object, binary data or an object list, in particular a list of data objects, can be transmitted.

The address in the communication network may be constructed, for example, as follows:

address layer 1/address layer 2/address layer 3 equation 1

Where address layer 1 may for example represent a service, address layer 2 may for example represent a specific resource and address layer 3 may for example represent an identifier of a data or state object. A client-side request cA, which contains only entries in address layer 1 and possibly address layer 2, can obtain the object list as a response aA to the initiation of the request. The address containing the entries in all address layers can be used as a response aA to the initiation of the request, in particular to obtain data or status objects.

The data object may in particular contain an identifier, an address and a name of the data object. Furthermore, the data object may contain useful data components. Furthermore, the data object may contain status information. The data object may furthermore contain authentication information for authenticating the responding

party

4, 6, VM. The response to the failed request for the data object may also contain error reporting information and/or an error code.

The status object may contain status information, error reporting information, an error code, and/or an identifier.

Each data or status object may be transmitted with its identifier, its address, and its name during each transmission.

The data object or object list may be transmitted based on, inter alia, a read request and the status object may be transmitted based on, inter alia, a write request or a delete request.

Furthermore, the client-side request cA or the registration request rA (see fig. 4) can be parameterized. If, for example, an image to be displayed is requested, the parameters may comprise a desired image width, for example in the form of a number of pixels, and a desired image height, for example in the form of a number of pixels.

The address of the request may contain, as further information, an identifier for the element on the client side from the client to the server. Depending on the identifier, the requested response may be transmitted only to specific elements of the respective client, e.g. the first or

third party

4, 6.

A schematic flow chart of the method according to the invention is shown in fig. 3. In a first step S1, a complete client-side request cA is generated, for example, of the first or third party 4, 6 (see fig. 2), and is transmitted to the virtual machine VM in the course of the transmission. In a second step S2, the virtual machine VM generates a complete corresponding response aA requesting the start and transmits it again to the requested first or

third participant

4, 6 in the course of a transmission. Depending on the request, the response may contain, for example, a data object, a status object, binary data, or a list of objects.

Fig. 4 shows another flow chart of the method according to the invention. In a first step S1, the client, for example the first or third party 4, 6 (see fig. 2), generates an overall registration request rA and transmits it to the virtual machine VM in the course of the transmission. The registration request rA may be, for example, a login or logout request. Such a registration request rA may contain, in addition to the kind of request, the address of the requested response, for example the address of the requested data object, status object or object list, different parameters, for example a parameter encoding a specific response, a parameter encoding the repetition rate, a parameter encoding the maximum transmission rate and other parameters. If the registration request rA is a login request, a check is made on the server side at which point in time the requested change in response occurred. At the changed time, a complete event-initiated response eA is generated and transmitted to the requesting

participant

4, 6 during the transmission (second step S2). The server side then checks further at which point in time a new change has occurred. If such a new change occurs, the response eA of all event initiations is transmitted again to the requesting

participant

4, 6 in the course of the transmission (third step S3). Fig. 4 shows that in a fourth step S4 a further registration request rA, which is formed as an exit log-in request, is transmitted to the virtual machine VM. Thereby ending the transmission of the event initiated response eA.

List of reference numerals

1 communication network

2 infotainment system

3 control device

4 participants on the first vehicle side

5 second vehicle-side participant

6 participants on the third vehicle side

7 first external party

8 other external Party

9 stateless communication interface

10 communication network

D1 first data transfer

D2 second data transmission

D3 third data transfer

D4 fourth data transfer

VM virtual machine

cA client side requests

aA request initiated response

eA event initiated response

rA registration request

S1 first step

S2 second step

S3 third step

S4 fourth step

Claims

1. A method for data transmission between a plurality of participants, the plurality of participants including a vehicle-side first participant, the vehicle-side second participant and at least one further participant, the vehicle-side first participant being a vehicle-side participant having a vehicle operating system, wherein at least one of the vehicle-side first and second participants is formed on a vehicle infotainment system of a vehicle and the other of the vehicle-side first and second participants resides on the same vehicle, the method comprising:

data communication takes place between the first and second parties on the vehicle side according to a local transmission protocol,

forming at least one virtual machine from a second vehicle-side participant, the at least one virtual machine having an operating system different from a vehicle operating system of the first vehicle-side participant, wherein the at least one virtual machine forms part of a client-server communication network for communicating with the at least one further participant, and

performing a stateless communication in the client-server communication network between the second participant on the vehicle side and the at least one further participant, such that in the client-server communication network, a communication is initiated by a request on the client side of a participant acting as a client in a participant according to a first transmission protocol, and in the client-server communication network, a communication is initiated by an event on the server side of a participant acting as a server in a participant according to a further transmission protocol, which is different from the first transmission protocol, and when communicating, the at least one further participant transmits to the at least one virtual machine acting as a server of the client-server communication network, persistent data that require an operating system of a virtual machine that is different from the vehicle operating system of the first participant on the vehicle side, wherein the persistent data is operable on an operating system of a virtual machine different from a vehicle operating system when communicating with the first participant on the vehicle side via the local transport protocol.

2. The method of claim 1,

the persistent data encodes a service or application.

3. The method of claim 1,

the at least one virtual machine forms a client in a client-server communication network and the at least one further participant forms a server of the client-server communication network.

4. The method of claim 1,

communication between the parties forming the server and the parties forming the client takes place in accordance with the RESTful principle in a client-server communication network.

5. The method of claim 1,

the at least one further participant is a participant outside the vehicle system and interfaces with the first and second participants on the vehicle side via the client-server communication network formed by the at least one virtual machine.

6. A communication network for data transmission between a plurality of participants, the plurality of participants including a vehicle-side first participant, the vehicle-side second participant and at least one further participant, the vehicle-side first participant being a vehicle-side first participant having a vehicle operating system and the vehicle-side second participant being a vehicle-side participant, wherein the vehicle-side first and second participants reside on the same vehicle, wherein the vehicle-side first participant is configured to communicate with the vehicle-side second participant via a local transmission protocol, the communication network comprising:

a vehicle infotainment system comprising each of a first and a second vehicle-side participant, the vehicle infotainment system providing the vehicle operating system of the first vehicle-side participant, and

at least one virtual machine formed by a second participant on the vehicle side, wherein the at least one virtual machine forms part of a client-server communication network for communicating with the at least one further participant and has an operating system different from the vehicle operating system of the first participant on the vehicle side,

wherein a stateless communication takes place between the second vehicle-side participant and the at least one further participant in the client-server communication network,

wherein the stateless communication comprises a data transfer initiated by a request of a client side of the participants acting as clients in the client-server communication network according to a first transfer protocol,

wherein the stateless communication comprises a data transfer initiated in the client-server communication network by a server-side event of a participant acting as a server among the participants according to another transfer protocol, the other transfer protocol being different from the first transfer protocol,

wherein the at least one further participant transmits persistent data requiring an operating system different from the vehicle operating system of the first participant on the vehicle side to the at least one virtual machine serving as a server of the client-server communication network when data transmission is performed, wherein the persistent data is operable on the operating system of the virtual machine different from the vehicle operating system when communicating with the first participant on the vehicle side via the local transmission protocol.

7. The communication network of claim 6,

8. The communication network according to claim 6, characterized in that a client-server communication in the client-server communication network is carried out using a communication interface comprised in each of the second participant on the vehicle side and the at least one further participant, wherein the communication interface is configured for a stateless communication therebetween.

9. The communication network of claim 6,

in the client-server communication network, a communication interface is used for client-server communication in the client-server communication network, which communication interface is included in each of the second vehicle-side participant and the at least one further participant, wherein the communication interface is designed to communicate between the participants according to the RESTful principle.

10. A vehicle comprising a communication network according to any one of claims 6 to 9.